Saturday, 1 January 2011

I can't believe I haven't blogged since July, but I guessed that would happen. I am far from being the perfect blogger. However, one of my New Year's Resolutions is to blog more often. Note, I do not say how often!

I'd like to wish everyone a very Happy New Year! Let's hope 2011 is a good one.

Monday, 12 July 2010

Lots of news since I last blogged. I visited what can only be described as a small, but perfectly formed library in Durrington, Wiltshire, to give an author talk. Once again, I spent a lovely evening with an enthusiastic audience. Thank you to the librarians who were so welcoming.

When I started writing, my ambitions were to share my stories with others and see them in print, but I never imagined that I would have a book published in countries other than the UK. So far, Trust Me I'm a Vet has been published in Germany and has just been accepted by a publisher in the USA.

I took the picture of the elderflowers and reminisced over how I used to make elderflower wine - apologies to anyone who felt obliged to drink it! Sometimes it tasted fragrant and almost like chardonnay, but more often it was incredibly sweet and syrupy. It definitely didn't improve with age...

On a veterinary note, I once started making parsnip wine, putting chopped parsnips, sugar and raisins to steep in a bucket of water. The next morning I came downstairs to find a sorry-looking dog who had decided to consume the whole lot. Poor dog!

Thursday, 13 May 2010

Welcome to my latest blog - as I suspected, it isn't as easy as some bloggers make it look to keep up to date with posting!

I've been busy - okay, that's my excuse - writing the next novel, teaching and marking at the college where I work part-time, walking dogs and looking after the new additions to the family here. We have adopted two rats who were abandoned by their owners. I'm not sure why they didn't want them any more, because they're very friendly.

I'm really happy too because Trust Me, I'm a Vet reached number 28 in the Bookscan paperback bestseller list, and 34 in the all titles list in its first week of sales.The piccie is of two couch potatoes - they were sleeping happily alongside each other until I woke them taking the photo. Then the cat looked rather aggrieved, as if he felt that the dog was taking over the space.

It's lovely outside today, bright sunshine, but I'm hoping for rain. Really. Because we need the grass to grow to feed the ponies. It's very unusual that we're still having to feed them hay in May.

Friday, 16 April 2010

Am writing this with one very happy cat sitting on my lap, 'helping' me type!

Trust Me, I'm a Vet has been spotted in bookshops and supermarkets all over the place yesterday and today. Thank you to all my bookspotters! It's available in the Curious Otter, Tesco, Sainsburys, WH Smith and Waterstones - in no particular order, of course.

In all the excitement though, I have to remember I must concentrate on the latest edit of the next book, Must Be Love, which will be published in September.

And talking of real vets rather than fictional ones... this week a vet came out from our local equine practice to vaccinate one of the ponies who turns out to have a phobia of needles. I have to admire the vet's determination!

Monday, 12 April 2010

It's been a busy couple of weeks.
I had a chat about Trust Me, I'm a Vet with Andy Ball on BBC Radio Merseyside on Saturday 3 April, and I'm due to talk to Russell Walker on BBC Radio York on Tuesday 13 April. Publication day is this Thursday, the 15th.
The Bookies met to discuss Anita Shreve's Testimony over a couple of bottles of champagne which we won at the local Scouts' Quiz.
The family met to celebrate a VIP's 80th birthday - Happy Birthday and thank you, Phyllis.
I've been writing too, and I've also been lucky enough to get some riding in - the piccie is of Honey who's taken to having a roll on the way back to the field rather than waiting!

Tuesday, 23 March 2010

Last week, I had a fantastic day out at the Romantic Novelists Association's Luncheon to celebrate 50 years of the RNA. I made my way to MBA to meet with my agent, Laura, and the five people shortlisted for this year's Harry Bowling Award - John Barfield, Ruth France, George Rigby, Debbie Johnson and Maria Lane. Congratulations to them all!
When we arrived at the Royal Garden Hotel, it was quite a shock to move from the relative quiet on the streets of London into an overwhelming tumult of chatter, glamorous romantic novelists and pink champagne.
Having enjoyed the RNA's special chocolate dessert, we listened to Katie Fforde, Chairman of the RNA introduce Barry Norman who presented the awards. The Romantic Novel of the Year went to Lucy Dillon's Lost Dogs and Lonely Hearts. The winner of the Harry Bowling Award was Debbie Johnson.
It was a truly memorable occasion and the RNA committee and organisers should be very proud of themselves.

Thursday, 11 March 2010

The publication date of 15 April for Trust Me, I'm a Vet rapidly approaches and I'm very excited because Katie Fforde, bestselling novelist and Chairman of the Romantic Novelists' Association, has kindly allowed us to have a bookmark with details of her next book and mine in her latest, Love Letters. Love Letters is another fab, five-star, fun read from this author.
I'm also looking forward to joining the Wiltshire Words Festival for two events. On the evening of 27 May I'll be at Melksham Library and on 1 June, at Durrington Library.

Saturday, 30 January 2010

We had a birthday last weekend for which I made this rainbow cake, according to family tradition. It wasn't the most beautiful cake and the icing wasn't quite thick enough, sliding off the sponge and taking the smarties with it, but it tasted great! And it's all gone.
At the moment, I'm working on a new novel set in my fictional Devonshire market town of Talyton St George, in which the heroine is setting up a business, baking homemade cakes. It's inspired me to try out some new recipes.

Wednesday, 13 January 2010

Well, it was another snowy day which meant I could stay in and write for much of the day. The above is a photo I took while walking through the woods with my daughter on the way back from feeding the ponies, having abandoned the car because the roads were too icy to drive on. It was almost dark, making it feel quite eerie, and a pair of deer crossed the path just ahead of us.

Saturday, 9 January 2010

This is my first blog!
This is Honey in the snow, munching her way through the next 30 bales of hay which arrived by tractor on Thursday.
Thanks to the wintry weather I've managed to finish my edits for my second book about the Otter House Vets. I've also made a start on a new one which is also set in Devon. At the moment, I'm dreaming up the next hero - hard work, but someone's got to do it!